Grain sprouter



H. APPEL.

GRAIN SPROUTER Dec. 15, 1925- Inventor,

Filed Sept. 8, 1924 ttornzy. i

Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES HENRY APPEL, OF 'WATERLOO, IOWA.

GRAIN SPROU'TER.

Application filed September 8, 1924. Serial No. 736,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ArrEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at VVaterloo,in the county of Blackhawk and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Sprouters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grain sprouters, and the objectof my improvement is to supply a device of this class which is adaptedto receive grain to be sprouted and to deliver it into a feedingreceptacle, the device being constructed with a telescoping sectionalgrain container for this purpose of which one section is arranged tosubside progressively as feed is removed below it to thus continuouslyprovide a renewed supply of the sprouted grain.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are-hereinafterdescribed and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which the figure is a vertical central section of myimproved device.

The numeral 1 denotes an open-top, closedbottom receptacle supported onlegs 2, the legs 2 being parts of bars which extend through the bottomof the receptacle and are secured to its inner wall, the upper parts ofthe bars being bent inwardly slopingly with their terminations then bentupwardly and riveted at 3 to the outer wall of a container section 8which is positioned centrally above the bottom of the receptacle 1 andspaced therefrom.

The numeral 11 denotes the upper section of the grain container. Thelower section 8 is preferably a hollow conical frustum as is also theupper section 11, the latter being fitted within the upper part of theformer to telescopically slide therein from its po sition of extensionshown in the full. lines to its position of complete subsidence shown indotted lines in said figure. In order to cause the upper, section 11 tomove downwardly vertically and centrally through the lower section 8, Imount a number of inwardly flanged bracket-guides 9 on the in ner wallof the section 8 at its lower part.

The upper end of the upper section 11 may be marginally flared as at 15,the section 11 may have numerous wall apertures or holes 12 of smallsize, and the section 8 may likewise be numerously perforated with holes10 of like size for ventilating the contents of moistened sproutinggrain.

The bottom 4 of the receptacle 1 may have a hollow cone 6 with anupright prolongation or open ended tube 7 which extends through bothsections 11 and 8 centrally nearly to the top of the section 11 whenextended. The tube 7 and its flaring base part 6 are also provided withnumerous small apertures 5 as is also the bottom 1 of said receptacle.

The numeral 13 denotes'a cross-bar whose opposite ends are bentangular-1y and riveted to the inner walls of the upper container section11 and contains a central sleeve 14: which loosely surrounds the upperpart of the tube 7 to serve as a guide for said section in keeping itcentral while subsid- 111g.

Grain to be sprouted is deposited in the flaring upper part 15 of theupper section 11 to fill the sections 11 and 8 when the section 11 isfirst lowered from its upper or eX- tended position and then elevated,the grain which flows through the bottom section 8 into the receptacle 1sustaining the pile and said movable section 11 until grain is removed,as by feeding animals or fowl, from the receptacle. As the base of thesection 8 is smaller than the open top of said rece tacle there issufficient interspace for feefing purposes.

The grain is kept moistened, so that the grain will sprout, the numerousapertures in the container walls affording suflicient air circulation.An excess of moisture may drain away through the bottom of thereceptacle, while the air passage through the center of the grain by wayof the tube 7 aids the process.

As grain sprouted in the container subsides together with and aided bythe weight of the upper section 11 when the contents of the receptacleare taken away by feed ing, the grain is progressively forced from thecontainer into the open space of the receptacle for further feeding.When the section 11 arrives at its lower position, it may be lifted andadditional grain deposited therein if desired to renew the process;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is:

A grain sprouter, comprising in combination, an open top receptacle, anapertureoi tubular ventilator open at upper and lower ends with itslower end opening through and fixedly mounted in the bottom of saidreceptacle, a hollow frustal body fixedly mounted centrally above saidreceptacle and spaced therefrom at the bottom and sides, parallelvertical guide flanges mounted on the inner wall of the frustal body,another hollow frustal body mounted telescopically within the lowerfrustal body first-mentioned to have its open lower end slide betweenand 10 in contact with said guide flanges to guide it centrally, whilesubsiding, an apertured bearing member mounted across the upper innerend of the second-mentioned frustal body to slidingly lit the saidtubular ventilator, and both frustal bodies and the bottom of thereceptacle being numcrously ininutoly apertured "for ventilationpurposes.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY APPEL.

